County fines consultant

W. Palm woman did not register as a lobbyist.

August 10, 2007|By Sally Apgar Staff Writer

Palm Beach County has fined a West Palm Beach woman $250 for acting as a consultant for the owners of Callery-Judge Grove by making statements during a public hearing but not registering as a lobbyist with the county.

According to an Aug. 9 letter from County Administrator Robert Weisman, Leah Schad, of West Palm Beach, made the statements during a controversial zoning hearing April 27 on plans to build 10,000 homes on the old citrus groves. The plan failed.

Schad, a longtime Audubon member and once on the board of the South Florida Water Management District, has 30 days to appeal the decision.

Reached at home, she declined to comment.

The county staff's investigation was triggered by the written complaint of Nancy Gribble, a Loxahatchee community activist who opposed the development. Gribble alleged that Schad and another woman, Cathy Probst, of Loxahatchee, filled out public comment cards and spoke at the hearing but failed to disclose their relationship with Callery-Judge.

Probst was cleared by the investigation.

Gribble alleged in her complaint that Schad is the chairwoman of the Callery-Judge Grove Neighborhood Advisory Committee and that Probst is on its support staff. Gribble alleged that "both are paid by Callery-Judge Grove for duties they perform" on behalf of the grove's owners.

One of Callery's attorneys, Bob Diffenderfer, told county staff that the committee "was intended to serve as a communication device in the neighborhood relative to the Callery project." He said Probst's "responsibilities were primarily administrative" and that she did not "provide lobbying services."

The county investigation found that at the time of the hearing, Probst was speaking as an individual and not acting in her capacity as secretary of the advisory committee.

According to the investigation, Schad told staff "she was at the meeting representing Callery and that she was paid by Callery as a consultant to offer suggestions to them about working in the neighborhood."

Sally Apgar can be reached at sapgar@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5506.